Espresso brothers and sisters on the pilgrimage to Charlotte- you have the opportunity to witness the birth of a new movement in professional espresso equipment. This movement is embodied in one glorious and special machine. This machine christened the Jean Robison in honor of Kathy Davis' mother, is the epitome of craftsmanship, craft, quality, teamwork and personality.

So lay down those corporate tampers, talk no more of automatics and walk to the beginning of Roaster's Alley and be amazed, truly amazed, at what the hand of man has wrought in his search for his own special machine and a better shot of espresso. I guarantee, brothers and sisters, you will glimpse the future of a truly special industry.

But, don't forget your shades and remember to dress warmly. Cause this future is mighty bright and there is a cool breeze ablowin'. And I mean cool!

It was that orange double-station manual lever espresso machine at the Cinnamon Bay Coffee booth.

I thought it was kinda neat, but it was designed for trade show use which means that it only had one grouphead per side and very minimal "counterspace" on which to place items like tampers, towels and other tools we use. Overall, I think it was very cool - a different approach to design than Kees but the whole standing espresso machine concept was pretty neat.

I think it would make for a very interesting shop machine with two opposing baristas working it for customers, but that machine would need to address the minimal "counterspace", add more space for cup heating, additional grinder platform(s) for decaf (and other blends), and have no less than two groups per side (making it a minimum 4 group machine).

It was not a production machine but was a "concept" machine designed for a very specific purpose- tradeshows. To fully comprehend this machine it is important to understand the role of customization as it pertains to tools.

Basically, what this espresso machine was built to demonstrate was that a true professional can and, in many cases, should consider a machine built specifically for them from the ground up.

Here were the design criteria for that machine, once again with tradeshows in mind:

-opposed group heads for multiple operators (60degrees) and non-conflicting conversation
-exposed levers (cutaway exposing the springs)
-lighted signage that alternated off of a pressue stat ( Genuine Superfine and Cinnamon Bay)
-free-standing ,open-base (to open up the booth)
-color matched to company colors (booth and literature)
-floating drink tables (lighted glass, and floating grinders
-easy seperate temp controls for group heads to facilitate 2 very different espressos
and most importantly;
-it must demonstrate to retailers, that Cinnamon Bay understands the importance of product differentiation, for their own businesses as well as ours

I commissioned this machine from a true artist and craftsman- Tal Fishman with EspressoSmith in Denver, and I could not be more impressed with either his work or his work ethic. Is it a production machine?-no- but that is not what it was designed for.

In retrospect this machine, also confirmed what I have lately felt about this industry as a whole: We lack a certain creative flair, even as we constantly talk about how creative we truly are. Even most of our conversations lack creativity, and have a certain follower mentality.

So, either you understand the concept of customization (true customization, not just modification), or you don't.

Perhaps there was something lacking in the way the machine and the concept behind it was presented? I've found this group of people to be pretty astute. I'm sure they understand the concept of customization just fine -- maybe they needed a presentation to equal the effort and finesse of the construction of the machine. (I didn't attend so this is speculation - I understand how easy it is for things to get lost and buried on trade-show floors.) How did you guys "show" this machine? What was your goal and how did you try to make that goal happen?

Deasin,
That is a very good point. When I go to a tradeshow, I try like hell to see new and interesting things. I keep my eyes, ears and mind open- Whether it be competitors' marketing, packaging, brewing, grinding, PC interfaces, etc... This machine had an article in the Morning Cup and was presented on the back page of said paper Sat., Sun., and Mon. It was also at the start of Roaster's Alley- if anyone missed it they weren't looking. And I honestly believe they did miss something.
As for being astute- let me just say this. It is one thing to speak the language of innovation, it is quite another to be truly innovative. There are those among this group that will move this industry in ways as yet unforessen, and there are those amongst us that will impede our progress with long held, but incorrect precepts. At times it will be difficult to tell them apart, and some will move from one group to another. As for the espresso machine in question, it was made as a tool for the described purposes above, and in that respect it was a success. What I found interesting was that more professionals didn't even take the time to see it. Or discuss it with the artist, and it was truly a work of art.

PS- It had much more press than the party in the parking lot, but many people found that OK (2 kegs in the back of a Penske truck, now that's innovation)

td wrote:As for the espresso machine in question, it was made as a tool for the described purposes above

.

TD,

Which purposes above? In what ways do YOU perceive the machine to be most successful & innovative? In other words, what are the aspects of this machine that you are most surprised to observe other professionals have glossed over?

Kevin,
The design criteria used for this machine are listed above. The concept is to design and build custom tools for custom applications. Tools that not only fufill the aesthetic requirements but the practical ones as well.

In this case, I wanted a machine that attracted the attention of retailers, and that allowed us to sample both of our espressos individually, in the tradeshow environment. I am a lever guy, and that was a base requirement (its a Freudian thing, perhaps). Done. When I remodel or redesign my store, I will follow this same route. My store, my unique set of tools. It is the epitome of the way I feel about my product. Pride and Professionalism. Pride in product and professionalism in presentation.

Why do I want or need the same tool that everyone else is using, when I believe I know more about my product and about the process that brings it to the consumer than all but a few in the retail end of this industry- allowing me, with the assistance of someone with the requisite skills and vision, like Tal Fishman, to design my own. This machine is one of a kind and there will be no other like it. Anywhere.

Furthermore, this was a project as well as a machine. It reflects the collaborative effort of 3 companies; EspressoSmith, Ambex & Cinnamon Bay. From KZ and Joe at Cinnamon Bay, to Tomasz (graphics, design) and Myself at Ambex and onto Tal and his crew at EspressoSmith. It was, bar none, one of the most invigorating and mind expanding experiences I have had in this industry. The ability to work with, and perhaps more importantly to work out differences with, such a group of experienced people representing a combined 40 year of experience in this industry was exquisite! And brings a smile to my face just thinking of the discussions. And although we cut it close, Tal completed the project in under 60 days.

So once again, the machine itself is only a reflection of the possibilities. True customization requires all involved to leave their comfort zones, and to challenge themselves to think beyond what is currently available to them, and to rely somewhat on the expertise of other professionals. It is an awesome undertaking, but it is not for everyone, or every company.

It used LEDs and etched glass, its just hard to see in this picture. The lighting alternated from the front panel to the floating shelves based on a pressure stat. Neon was a little overpowering, and is a bitch to ship w/o breakage. Since this is a tradeshow machine it needs to be able to handle multiple shippings.